Betta breeding help please!

[cich]

I've conditioned them, introduced them to each other by putting the bowls next to each other, and it seemed as though the female wanted to get at the male, so I figured maybe they were ready even though not much time had passed. But the nest was made and they seemed to want to get to each other, so now they're together and the female is playing a TOUGH game of hard to get and the male just can't catch her. Should I take her out and wait longer? It's my first time breeding these fish.

--cich

[ninoboy]

No, the female always play hard to get in the beginning. They will look like they are fighting later on (actually it's a real fight). Then the female lose out and go to a corner. She will look beaten up badly depending how much of fight she put out. After2-3 days, you'll see the eggs in the nest. You have to take out the female then. The eggs will hatch in 2-3 days and you still need the father there. AFter the frys start swimming normally (they will in upside down position when just hatched), take out the male. Bettas frys are very sensitive and small. So be careful when feeding them.

The only time that the breeding is unsuccessful is if the male cannot fight or lose out to the female which is very unlikely unless he's much smaller than the female.

Good luck

[cich]

no chance of that -- he's obviously is the dominant one

[ninoboy]

Once you see the eggs, prepare some fry food. Don't feed with live food if you're not used to it. Get either liquid fry food or I use the First Biteby Hikari from Petsmart. They are not big enough to eat crushed flakes (unless you can crush it until very fine). Not to overfeed cause any ammonia increment will easily kill them. They are one of the weakest frys I've seen.

[compulsion]

you will know when shes ready when she shows dark lines on her sides... i use a 2g and a clear 2liter coke bottle, will it halfway and place the female in the bottle with the bottom off and no lid. this was shes in the same tank but the male can build a bubble nest while being teased by the female. you lift the bottle when you sthink yourself that they are good and ready...

keep some stress zyme, finrot and fin regen med's for after the whole thing is over. this way you can return the female to you comminity tank, return the male when the process is over, and have all the fry growing in the 2G

[jread]

Man, we could use you guys over at www.beautifulbettas.com

[cich]

Oh yeah! I think it's horizontal lines I'm supposed to look for... I'm so forgetful :P